Valerie Jarrett: Obama's Sounding Board

(NEWSER) - It's a big disappointment for Chicago, but how big a hit was yesterday's Olympic Committee put-down of the US's 2016 bid for the president, who stuck his neck out to go to bat for it? Of course Rush Limbaugh said it was huge, the "worst day" of Obama's presidency, and Obama had "wasted his country's time, and his prestige." Democrats, even some who advised against the trip, said it was "a stumble, not a fall," and the president should get points for trying. More»

President, first lady stump for their hometown ahead of Olympic vote

(NEWSER) - Barack and Michelle Obama made an impassioned call today to bring the 2016 Olympics to Chicago, which the president called the "most American of American cities." In his pitch to the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen, the president told of how he became "a proud Chicagoan" after a peripatetic childhood and fell in love with the diversity and ambition of the Second City. The first lady made a deeply personal presentation. She spoke about how her father instilled a love of sports in all of his children despite his battle with multiple sclerosis. More»

RNC chair blasts Obama's trip as 'unnecessary'

(NEWSER) - President Obama shouldn’t bother going to Denmark to argue for Chicago's Olympic bid, Michael Steele says; that’s what Michelle’s for. “The first lady would have been and should have been the lead there,” the RNC chair said today. “Let her go and sell Chicago.” He said the intention behind the trip was “noble,” but that “at a time of war, at a time of recession… this trip, while nice, is not necessary.” More»

First visit by a president to lobby for Olympics

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama will travel to Copenhagen on Thursday to back Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said today. The president will be joined by Michelle Obama and his education and transportation secretaries. Chicago is bidding against Tokyo, Rio de Janiero, and Madrid, but none of the four cities is seen as a favorite ahead of Friday's vote. Japan's new PM, Brazil's president, and the king of Spain will be lobbying as well. More»

Michelle Obama seen as campaign 'closer'

(NEWSER) - Outspoken and gutsy but sometimes sarcastic and condescending, Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, is playing a central role in his campaign as it builds toward a final showdown. Known as "The Closer" behind the scenes, the 44-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer puts steel into the campaign while Obama stays above the fray, reports the New York Times. More»